Hut News Issue no. 383 August 2020 Blue Gum Forest - a threatened future Wyn Jones Wyn Jones submitted a formal report to the NPWS after a permitted visit to Blue Gum Forest in April 2020 with friend Richard Delaney. This is the seventh time the Blue Gum Forest, and the Upper Grose Valley has burnt in 60 years. It is more frequently burnt than almost any other place in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. The state of the forest is unlike that seen by anyone before. Why? The combination of climate change, drought, fire and flood has probably never occurred like this before. We must ensure it never happens again. We must provide a history of this place for all people to witness and renew each year, and for each new generation of trees and humans. ‘As I walked down the last slope towards Blue Gum Forest I heard a gasp in the quiet, a drawn breath whose sound floated past the tree skeletons and was lost in the valley walls beyond. If I have walked here once, I have walked here a hundred times. And each time it is different. But nothing has ever changed this much: the scene we witnessed left us trying to understand in some deep place between the sky, the cliff walls and the ancient rocks below. Sometimes, what the body perceives confounds the intellect and confuses the soul. Leaving my shadow and that of the trees behind, the rest of me arrived at the Big Tree, grateful to be here, indeed privileged. The rolled twisted roots of this tree provide an easy seat and a rest following the descent from Perrys Lookdown - over an hour’s walk. It was from those lofty heights, in the dim near dawn light, we looked and could not see the detail in the shadowed forest far below, though the stark, stunted tree stems on the Lockleys Spur were only too prescient a reminder of the heat that seared the soil to depth, both there and across the heaths and mallee lands of the Mount Hay Plateau. Oh yes, part of me in a previous life had seen this, but not so scarred, Photo right. The Big Tree at the Perry’s - Blue Gum Forest track junction. Probably the oldest tree, it has now lost its crown main branches and has very poor epicormic growth which is unlikely to sustain it. not so eroded from the January cloud fall, a torrent of water from the sky of a ferocity previously unknown. And yet, today’s descent had been personally unremarkable, with few physical impediments, fallen trees, rock falls or loose step treads. This was in contrast to our post-fire experience of 2006. I remember that well, and I remember the still- smouldering trees, tree stumps and tree-holes, these last being the smoky, fiery ghosts of former Blue Gum giants. (Cont. overleaf) Printed on Australian made 100% recycled paper 1 Blue Mountains Conservation Society Inc. HUT NEWS Nature conservation saves for tomorrow
Transcript
Hut News Issue no. 383 August 2020
Blue Gum Forest - a threatened future Wyn Jones
Wyn Jones submitted a formal report to the NPWS after a permitted visit to Blue Gum Forest in April 2020 with friend Richard Delaney. This is the seventh time the Blue Gum Forest, and the Upper Grose Valley has burnt in 60 years. It is more frequently burnt than almost any other place in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. The state of the forest is unlike that seen by anyone before. Why? The combination of climate change, drought, fire and flood has probably never occurred like this before. We must ensure it never happens again. We must provide a history of this place for all people to witness and renew each year, and for each new generation of trees and humans.
‘As I walked down the last slope towards Blue Gum Forest I heard a gasp in the quiet, a drawn breath whose sound floated past the tree skeletons and was lost in the valley walls beyond. If I have walked here once, I have walked here a hundred times. And each time it is different. But nothing has ever changed this much: the scene we witnessed left us trying to understand in some deep place between the sky, the cliff walls and the ancient rocks below. Sometimes, what the body perceives confounds the intellect and confuses the soul.
Leaving my shadow and that of the trees behind, the rest of me arrived at the Big Tree, grateful to be here, indeed privileged. The rolled twisted roots of this tree provide an easy seat and a rest following the descent from Perrys Lookdown - over an hour’s walk. It was from those lofty heights, in the dim near dawn light, we looked and could not see the detail in the shadowed forest far below, though the stark, stunted tree stems on the Lockleys Spur were only too prescient a reminder of the heat that seared the soil to depth, both there and across the heaths and mallee lands of the Mount Hay Plateau. Oh yes, part of me in a previous life had seen this, but not so scarred,
Photo right.The Big Tree at the Perry’s - Blue Gum Forest track junction. Probably the oldest tree, it has now lost its crown main branches and has very poor epicormic growth which is unlikely to sustain it.
not so eroded from the January cloud fall, a torrent of water from the sky of a ferocity previously unknown.And yet, today’s descent had been personally unremarkable, with few physical impediments, fallen trees, rock falls or loose step treads. This was in contrast to our post-fire experience of 2006.
I remember that well, and I remember the still-smouldering trees, tree stumps and tree-holes, these last being the smoky, fiery ghosts of former Blue Gum giants. (Cont. overleaf)
Printed on Australian made 100% recycled paper 1
Blue Mountains Conservation Society Inc.
HUT NEWS Nature conservation saves for tomorrow
Hut News Issue no. 383 August 2020
We sat on the Big Tree’s gnarled root and trunk base, thankful that it had not fallen. But the relief was short-lived. We had only just arrived, and the silhouettes of the tree skeletons against the valley walls had not yet sunk full into our consciousness. That realisation was to take more breath away, to be lost in the immensity and quiet of the valley solitude. We knew something was very different in this forest of our souls, different from all times before.’
This is part 1; parts 2 and 3 will be published in the September and October issues.
From the President
Thank you for reading our latest edition of Hut News. A particular welcome to the new members of the Society and thanks to our long-standing and committed members who make our work and activities possible. Recently, I was delighted to visit our office and base at the Conservation Hut in Wentworth Falls and see the John Buki garden. This is the garden island outside the building which recognises John, a pioneer conservationist and largely responsible for the formation of the original Society. Recently, his wife Elizabeth, turned 100 and a dear friend had the sandstone commemorative block cleaned as a birthday present. The results are shown in the picture below - what a joy.
This serves as a reminder that we are here for the ‘long game’ and are a continued presence as we negotiate the ongoing issues related to nature conservation.
Thank you for your part in this journey.
Tara Cameron
From the Editor
Thanks to everyone for their contributions and apologies to those whose efforts could not be accommodated due to the limited size of the newsletter.
Wyn Jones has contributed a long but worthy article about changes in Blue Gum Forest. Again, due to size limitations, the article will be divided into three to appear in this and coming issues.
This month there is a section called Opinion. The topic of tourism reveals many views; the Society is yet to form its position but all opinions will contribute to it.
Apology The link for Andy Macqueen’s book given in the July issue was incorrect. It should have been https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2680243228/viewApologies to Andy and to those who tried the link.
In this issue
Blue Gum Forest - a threatened future 1From the President 2Management Committee meeting notes 3Welcome to new members 3Opinion 4Damned 5Switch to ethical electricity 6 Blue Trail Village Scenes No. 4 7Discussing wombats. 8Flora and fauna monitoring program 8Glossy black-cockatoos 9Walks program 102020/2021 Management Committee 12
Printed on Australian made 100% recycled paper 2
The deadline for Hut News is the 20th of each month.
• Members should note that there is a public exhibition of proposed amendments to Blue Mountains National Park, with a focus on Govetts Leap and Green Gully. The exhibition closes on 17 August.
• The meeting discussed the proposed development and associated land clearing on Bodington Hill, medium density housing proposed by the State Government and zoning of the former Lawson Golf Club site.
• A submission will be made about the Narrabri Coal Seam Gas fields proposal, due by 31 July.
• The agenda and logistics for the Society planning day on 8 August were discussed
• A new track cut in private property through Faulconbridge Mallee is being investigated.
• The Climate Action flyers, enclosed in last month’s Hut News, will also be distributed via the Gazette and cafes.
• The Nursery will now be able to take payment for plants by EFTPOS.
• A report on the widening of the Great Western Highway at Blackheath was given. The Society confirms that it opposes all options.
• We will attend the Fire Chief’s Roundtable on 29 July.
• The President will be interviewed on Blue Mountains community radio on 31 July.
• The Society will participate in the BMCC Wildlife Reference Group.
The Society welcomes the following new members:- Diane Lowry- John and Amanda Blanche- Paul Compag- Douglass and Susan Nicholls- David, Leo and Ella Morley- Ji Eun Lee- Margaret Tilden - Davina Curnow- Anna Russell- Valerie Ward- John and Pamela Trotter- Sharon and Phillip Cox- John and Lynette Fricke- Angela Dunstan- Margaret Locke
There are 881 members of the Society.
The Grose River North Bank at Blue Gum Forest is undercut with sand and gravel deposits which fill a formerly deep swimming hole. River stones are covered in fine silt and there are few aquatic animals.
“You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own, that they must protect them.” Wangari Maathai
“No one will protect what they don't care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced.” David Attenborough
In the 1930s, Sydney bushwalkers and their friends started a campaign to save the Blue Gum Forest. It was the beginning of the movement to have special areas of the Blue Mountains protected in national parks. In the 1980s the Colong Foundation started the campaign to have our national parks listed as World Heritage and in 2000, the Greater Blue Mountains was recognised internationally and listed on the World Heritage register. People from many parts of Australia helped with the success of these campaigns. By sharing our area with the world we can educate and inspire even more people to learn to understand and care about the natural environment of the Blue Mountains and help us to protect it.
People come to the Blue Mountains for many different reasons, for a week, a few days, part of a day, or to stay. We all share our admiration for and love of the Blue Mountains and owe a debt of gratitude to the large number of people who fought to protect them.
During the July school holidays we had huge numbers of visitors and many of our natural areas were closed because of fire damage or lack of track maintenance. I spoke to some people who were enjoying their visit.
A young couple were about to experience their first beginners’ abseil on Narrow Neck under the care of an expert guide. It was a beautiful day, with magnificent views over the Megalong to distant mountains and they were excited and happy together. Could they ever forget the Blue Mountains?
Two women at Hargraves Lookout were enjoying the view and then going to have a massage at a Katoomba resort. Their husbands and children were joining them the next day, but this was their day to pamper themselves.
An older couple who were regular visitors to the Blue Mountains had had an early morning walk through the Grand Canyon. Later in the day, the Grand Canyon walk was overcrowded.
We who live in and love the Blue Mountains do not own them. We need to prioritise repair and reopening of closed areas. And we need to encourage more high quality, environmentally sound infrastructure being built to provide a better tourist experience, not oppose it because of the perception that more tourists in our “backyard” for any part of the day might cause us inconvenience.
We can be proud to share the Blue Mountains with visitors from all over the world. Our lives are made better because of tourism.
2. Loving tourist destinations to death
Peter Green
The July edition of Hut News included a topical article by Cathy Cavanagh on tourism, specifically how we are loving our tourist destinations to death. This brings to mind the excellent initiative uniting most (all?) of Australia’s leading environmental organisations, viz ‘Places You Love (www.placesyoulove.org). The Society is a member.
However the manifesto seems to see everything from a legislative aspect, and fails to mention a glaring factor in this crisis, the inexorable increase in our population largely driven by economic immigration and the absurd quest for endless growth.
From discussions that I have had, I suggest that this is not an oversight; it is a deliberate omission. We continue to add a city the size of Adelaide every three years, resulting in many deleterious impacts on our land and our quality of life. Rare arable land is covered by urban sprawl, deforestation continues to
be rampant, species are pushed to extinction, gardens and other play areas shrink, open space is more contested and we have the Australian version of a ghetto as exemplified by the high-rise COVID towers in Melbourne. Children raised in these crowded boxes will never develop biophilia, and hence will never fight for precious ecosystems threatened by development. This ‘vibrant growth’ is also one of the justifications given for the new airport in Western Sydney. How is that going to improve our communion with nature? What is the point in making a per-capita improvement in some environmental metric, say greenhouse gas emissions from transport, electricity, farming or water use, if we immediately negate that improvement by adding more people? We are worse off because we have picked the low hanging fruit. For me this movement should be renamed ‘Places that I used to Love’. We need to include all the factors in the examination of this crisis while there is still time to save our natural places. Civilisation exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.― Will Durant (writer, historian, philosopher) 1885 - 1981.
Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist.― Kenneth Boulding (economist, educator, poet, religious mystic, systems scientist, interdisciplinary philosopher) in US Congress, 1973.
“Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do.”― Wendell Berry (novelist, environmental activist, farmer)
"If all insects on Earth disappeared, within 50 years all life on Earth would end. If all human beings disappeared from the Earth, within 50 years all forms of life would flourish."Jonas Salk, US virologist
Damned (Lake Lyell, NSW)
Diana Levy
Somewhere under this dama young Gundungurra boywho lived with his grandmotherwould slide down the riffle,splash into the river’s pool - rock, water, brown skin, sun delight -
somewhere under this damhistory: artefacts made of stonethat could talk storyabout his great-great-greatswho named this river aftersomething other than Cox, the road-maker, who named this part of the river Duiwan,
who lived when this river teemed with perch, black fish, mullet, sprats, eels
now four billagoola keep watchfrom the dead-tree-fringeof the power station’s cooling water.
Up the lake beyond the greenish scumwhich is the colour of engine coolant,beyond the green of weed streamers,beyond the grunting roar of trail bikers
dammed becomes river againrocks and pebbles come forthsmooth and somewhat slimy under a tiny flow,the splish of our paddlesand from the cumbungian old song about rain and life - frogs.
Note: Billagoola = little pied cormorant, cumbungi = bulrush, Typha genus
See http://www.ozarts.net.au/images/oz-arts/2020-winter/eugene-stockton.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2KBkeDy2DTwU-Efj6x9G7kJJyubjZ0cM8Oh9okPRYhYxc5D0GBSU8uFOk
A Climate Action flyer was inserted in each copy of June Hut News. Each month we’ll look in more detail at one of the actions that we can take towards reducing Australia’s shamefully high emissions; Australia has the highest emissions per person of any OECD country.
The electricity sector is the largest source of greenhouse emissions in Australia with coal and gas fuelling about 80% of Australia’s electricity. As consumers we make decisions about who to buy electricity from, and this choice can be one that makes a statement about climate change and influences energy companies to move more rapidly to renewables and away from fossil fuels.
Choose energy retailers investing in renewables and moving out of fossil fuels, and support them.
The most comprehensive Green Electricity guide for Australia was produced in 2018 by the Total Environment Centre and Greenpeace. This ranked retailers on the following: • emissions intensity of the power stations they own • investments in and policy positions on renewable
energy and fossil fuels • deals for solar consumers • carbon offset products • promotion of energy efficiency and demand
management and • corporate transparency and sustainability reporting.
This is a good place to begin researching the best retailers: https://www.greenelectricityguide.org.au/
Select 100% Green Power
By purchasing Green Power you are able to support renewables through committing your electricity provider to buying the equivalent amount of renewable energy from new renewable energy sources. When you buy Green Power make sure it is certified and from companies which don’t include ‘natural gas’ as a form of renewable energy. You can find out more about Green Power accredited providers at the following site which is a joint initiative of the ACT, NSW, SA and VIC governments, designed to
ensure renewable energy suppliers meet strict environmental standards: https://www.greenpower.gov.au/
Examples of electricity generation which are not allowed in the scheme include:
• Hydro power where significant river diversions have taken place as part of the hydro station being built;
• Biomass using native rainforests; • Coal seam gas; and • All types of non-renewable generation
including coal fired, natural gas, oil, and nuclear.
Choose electric appliances, not ‘natural’ gas which is a fossil fuel
Gas is a fossil fuel, despite many companies and governments claiming otherwise. Gas is a non-renewable resource and the rhetoric around it being a bridge to renewables only slows the transition to a zero carbon future. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is transitioning from gas use as part of its zero net emissions strategy, which includes introducing new policies to replace gas appliances with electric alternatives. The ACT Climate Change Minister, Shane Rattenbury, stated: “We intend to phase out use of gas…We were trained to believe that gas was cleaner and cheaper... but it’s just another fossil fuel”.
Beyond Zero Emissions is a good site for further information about renewables https://bze.org.au/
Blue Trail Village Scenes No 4 Wilson Glen, Woodford
Don Morison
A well-worn pedestrian bridge, established in 1920 as a tribute to soldiers, crosses the railway from Memorial Park to Railway Parade and the Wilson Glen loop bush walk. It was opened in 1933. The remnants of red bunting still adorn the bridge, placed there in 2019 during a so-far successful campaign to stop the bridge being demolished, and it is still providing access to one of the best short bush walks in the mid mountains.
Memorial Park is now little used since the widened highway has brought fast traffic so close to its long-valued picnic areas. But the Wilson Glen walk, taking in two pleasant creek valleys and the Gypsy Cave as it winds from Railway Parade to Buena Vista Road, is often visited.
The variety of vegetation in its couple of kilometres is stimulating, ranging from Angophora costata stands near Buena Vista Road to fringe temperate rainforest in the shadier sections. The scrub is thick enough to provide shelter for numerous small birds. In 1934, Blue Mountains Council seriously considered building a swimming pool in the reserve but the idea was eventually dropped, leaving the area exclusively to bush walkers.
Bridge between Memorial Park and Wilson Glen – red bunting lingers from the “Save the bridge campaign”.
Printed on Australian made 100% recycled paper 7
Top: Walking track sign at footbridge end of loopMiddle: Tranquil bush land at Buena Vista cornerBottom: Canopy over memorial to Sarah Wilson, Woodford Post Mistress
Photos by Christine Davies
Hut News Issue no. 383 August 2020
Discussing wombatsJanine Kitson
Congratulations to Cathy Cavanagh for highlighting the inspiration of wombats as they struggle to survive.
Wombats, related to koalas, are iconic Australian animals and it is wonderful that Cathy is highlighting their remarkable stories. Despite many wombats surviving our recent Black Summer Bushfires many have struggled from lack of food and are now being decimated by the life threatening disease of mange.
Indeed, I look forward to reading Cathy’s inspiring insights into wombats and hope that I will be able to include them in future revisions of the Colong Foundation’s distance education course Wombats, Wattle, Wilderness, World Heritage and Wellbeing (WWWWW). This discussion course is interactive, where both the student and tutor learn together. The course allows for constant revision based on community discussion. All that is required is a minimum of 6 people to come together to read, talk and discuss and email their reflections to the WEA tutor (Janine Kitson) who then responds to them.
WWWWW deals with the connections between wombats, acacias, wilderness, the Greater BlueMountains World Heritage Area and wellbeing. It highlights Australia’s shocking history of land clearing where today only 2% of the Brigalow Belt in Queensland is protected in conservation reserves, including the pocket sized Epping Forest National Park, home of the critically endangered Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat.
The WEA Sydney WWWWW Discussion Group course costs $68 per person to enrol in (minimum of six people to enrol) and is available at https://www.weasydney.com.au/course/D243 For more information contact WEA, Sydney Ph: (02) 9264 2781 E: [email protected]
Editor’s note: Last month we promised a second article about Anna Culliton’s work rescuing wombats but she has been so busy with her work that we have postponed the article until next month.
The Flora and Fauna Monitoring Program
The Lyre Bird Suite
Richard Lowson
In 1965 and while still in the UK, I saw Robert Helpman’s ballet ‘The Display’ (The Lyrebird Suite) danced to the music of Malcolm Williamson. It was a refreshing change from the staid conventionalism of classical English ballet and it aroused my curiosity in Australia as a country of challenge and opportunity.
I was reminded of that ballet as we serviced the fauna monitoring camera below the Conservation Hut last month. The lyre birds were in full swing, rehearsing their courtship display. We stood entranced, watching a male practice his repertoire. His own call was immediately followed by his mimic of the whip bird, currawong, magpie, various rosellas, the black- cockatoo and the kookaburra. His version of the kookaburra was a bit rough and needed more practice. The smart phones were out audio recording the ten minute display then we played it back to him leaving a very confused lyre bird in our wake.
During the day the lyre birds retire to the bush but we tend to see them on the track in front of the cameras at night. Figure 1 is a frequency plot of last year’s sightings broken down into one hour intervals.
Maximum activity is around 7 pm and a comparison between directions travelled suggests they are doing a circuit out of Den Fenella, over the ridge to Lyre Bird Creek then cross country back to Fenella. Time is the
24 hour clock, human time. Lyre birds don’t carry watches and their clocks are set by the rising and setting of the sun. Adjusting the frequency around a lyre bird’s sun clock would probably skew the plot but would not be expected to show any major change in behaviour.
The fauna and flora monitoring program is fully operational again. The flora sites have been extended to cover a broader range of plant communities and we are planning to increase the number of fauna sites.
The overall program is administered by the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute. It is sponsored by Scenic World as part of their Environmental Program, Blue Mountains City Council, National Parks and the PL Hagl foundation. The Wentworth Falls group is one of four groups contributing to the program.
We meet at the Conservation Hut at 10 am every Thursday to service the monitoring sites and for those of you who are interested, you would be very welcome to join us. My email address is [email protected] if you would like more information.
Superb Lyrebird. Photo: Jill Dark
The Glossy Black Cockatoo. Photo: Jill Dark
Glossy Black Cockatoos threatened in Blue Mountains Christine Davies
I have seen flocks or family groups of Glossy Black Cockatoos several times on Kings Tableland, quietly feeding. Recently I came across a group who were greatly disturbed, the individuals flying out across the road with their beautiful red-barred tail feathers displayed. On investigation, I found that they were being attacked and chased from their food trees and then from the nearby eucalypts by Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.
The Glossy Black Cockatoo feeds almost exclusively on Allocasuarina seeds. Easily approached when feeding, they can be detected by the clicking of their bills and the falling debris of casuarina cones and twigs.
The Glossy Black Cockatoo has a patchy distribution in Australia, having once been widespread across most of the south-eastern part of the country. The species is listed as vulnerable in NSW. A major threat to its survival is habitat loss – the clearing of casuarina trees and the loss of mature eucalypts for nest hollows. They are also threatened by feral cats and possums, which raid their nests. (More information: Birdlife Australia; NSW Dept Planning Industry and Environment)
In the Blue Mountains, an additional threat can be listed - the ever-growing flocks of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos.
Walks Program The three month walks program appears on our web page at www.bluemountains.org.au
Monday walks Monday walks are short day walks of 3-5 hours, suitable for walkers of average fitness. Bring morning tea, lunch and adequate water. The Group Coordinator is Keith Dorrian 0411 162345 [email protected]
Tuesday walks Tuesday walks are medium day walks of 3-5 hours suitable for walkers of average fitness. Bring morning tea, lunch and adequate water. Co-ordinator: Sue Nicholls phone: 0434 258242 email: [email protected]
Date Description Meeting place Contact Grade
Aug. 3 Water Nymph Dell and Wentworth Falls Lake Wentworth Falls. Rainforest and lake walk. Approx. 7 km.
Nature Trail Wentworth Falls. Streams and Waterfalls
Wentworth Falls Rail Car Park 9.30 am
Keith 0411 162345 2
Aug. 24
Empire Pass Lawson. Walk to Frederica Falls and then along creek to Dante’s Glen, Fairy Falls, Echo Bluff and return to Lawson Station. Approx 8 km.
Lawson Bowling Club Car Park 8.40 am
Lyn Bevington 0432 352 850 3
Aug. 31
Porter Pass, Colliers Causeway, Centennial Pass and return. Blackheath
Blackheath Neighbourhood Centre 8.40 am
Ros King 0417 261465 or4733 3880
3
Sept. 7 Nepean River Walk Emu Plains. Pleasant walk from Station, along river, across F4 bridge back, along eastern side of river to new pedestrian bridge (Yandhai Bridge) and back to Station Approx 6 km.
Emu Plains Station 9.20 am Keith 0411 162345 2
Sept. 14
Walls Cave and Canyon, Blackheath Approximately 9 km. including along roads from station
Blackheath Neighbourhood Centre 8.40 am.
Keith 0411 162345 2
Date Description Contact Train Destination Meet at
Grade
Aug. 4 The Nature Track, Wentworth Falls. 8 km. 210 m up and down. PLB required
Ken Robinson 4751 4534
Catch train from Springwood 8.42 am
Wentworth Falls Station
9.20 am 2
Aug. 11 Rickard Rd. to lookouts overlooking Long Angle Gully. 8 km.
Doug Nicholls 0455 850753
Catch train from Springwood 8.54 am
Warrimoo Station 9.01 am 1
Aug. 18Glenbrook History walk. 7 km. Little Zig Zag - Elizabeth and Marges Lookouts - Lennox Bridge - Glenbrook
Robyn Hine0409 127012
Catch train at Springwood at 8.29 am
Glenbrook station
9.00 am 2
Aug. 25 Sunset Rock- Henry Lawson Walk - Engineers Cascade. 4 km. PLB required
John Trotter4754 2185
Train from Springwood 8.42 am
Mt. Victoria Station
9.41 am 2
Sept. 1 Sth. Lawson waterfalls. 5 km. PLB required Ken Robinson 4751 4534
Thursday walks Thursday Walks are walks of 2 - 3 hours conducted at a leisurely pace. Bring morning tea, adequate water and lunch . . Co-ordinator: Beverley Thompson, phone: 4757 2076, email: [email protected]
Saturday walks Saturday Walks are usually a full day, longer walk at a faster pace. Bring morning tea, lunch and adequate water.Co-ordinator: Harold Thompson phone: 0409 010737 email: [email protected]
Date Walk name Contact Time Grade
Aug 6 Braeside Walk, Blackheath Tracy 0434 362611 9.45 am 2
Aug.13 Lawson cemetery and Lawson Golf Course Keith 0411 162345 8.45 am 1
Aug. 20 Birdwood Gully and Madeline Glen, Springwood. Take lunch. Maurice 4739 4942 9.50 am 2
Aug. 27 Nepean River walk, Emu Plains. Keith 0411 162345 9.10 am 1
